Staff Directory

Liz Peterson

Elizabeth (Liz) A. Peterson is Associate Director for Classroom Growth and Special Projects at The Teaching Center. Liz has worked at Washington University since 1990, when she became the director of the Video Center at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. In 1995, she joined The Teaching Center. Prior to coming to Washington University, Liz worked as a contract administrator in the aerospace industry.

Liz works with the Committee for Classroom Planning Related to Undergraduate Growth to assess current and future needs for new classrooms. In addition, as a part of The Teaching Center’s classroom-design team, Liz works with Tom Furby, and Mike Floyd to develop and improve the design of University-managed classrooms to support teaching and learning at Washington University.

One of Liz’s major responsibilities is to work closely with Facilities Management on new classrooms and classroom-renovation projects, in collaboration with Tom Furby and Mike Floyd. Liz conducts research on current and future designs for classroom, including those utilized for active learning. She also lends her expertise when departments and schools request Teaching Center consultation on renovation and construction projects.

Liz’s current projects include updating the Annual Classroom Report and working with Mike Floyd and Tom Furby to develop a Classroom Standards guide for designing University-managed classrooms. Current classroom-design projects on which she is working include one auditorium renovation, two new auditoriums, and six new classrooms, scheduled be completed in either Fall 2014 or Fall 2015.

As a member of the Classroom Monitoring Committee (CMC), Liz develops the committee’s monthly meeting agenda and presides over the monthly meeting. In addition, Liz serves on the University Scheduling Review Committee, the Media Use Committee, and the Mallinckrodt Management Board Committee.

During the past few years, Liz has worked with Gina Frey and other Teaching Center staff on the design of the Arts & Sciences Active Learning Classroom (ALC). The result of collaboration by The Teaching Center and Arts & Sciences, the ALC is a 54-seat classroom located in the lower level of Ridgley Hall. The furniture and technology in the ALC have been designed to facilitate collaborative learning. The ALC was funded by the Arts & Sciences Annual Fund.

Liz has worked with Gina Frey and Beth Fisher to develop and produce Teaching Commentaries, a video series featuring Washington University faculty. Each video includes a featured faculty member describing successful teaching strategies, interspersed with classroom footage that demonstrates the strategies being discussed.

Liz was one of the original developers of iTeach, a biennial symposium that provides an opportunity for Washington University faculty members from across the disciplines to share ideas and insights on teaching. In 2002, Liz received—with Kathy Atnip—the Arts & Sciences Dean’s Award, in recognition for their work on iTeach.

In 2005, Liz presented two talks at instructional-technology conferences: “Managing Multimedia Classrooms in the Real World” and “iTeach: A Critical Element of Faculty Development at Washington University in St. Louis.” Liz was a member of the advisory group that oversaw the initial development of the University’s original learning-management system, which became Telesis. An article about Liz was published in the Washington University Record in 2008.

Liz earned a B.A. in speech communications from the University of Missouri-St. Louis in 1980 and an M.A. in mass communications from Webster University in 1988.